Atlas Drop Exercise Kicks Off at Soroti Airfield

Soroti, Uganda (April 15, 2010)

Atlas Drop Exercise Kicks Off at Soroti Airfield

On April 13th, Atlas Drop 2011 officially began with a morning ceremony at the Soroti Airfield in Eastern Uganda.  ATLAS DROP, an annual joint aerial delivery exercise sponsored by U.S. Army Africa, brings together U.S. service members with counterparts from the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces.  It is designed to enhance the readiness of both countries’ resupply and logistical capabilities.  The two week training will consist of classroom instruction and a field training exercise.  Atlas Drop 11 (AD 11) will increase the capability of both UPDF and U.S. forces to resupply soldiers operating in remote areas.

Maj. Gen. Andrew Gutti, Commandant of the UPDF’s Senior Command and Staff College, was the ceremony’s guest of honor.  Local civic leaders and dignitaries, UPDF leadership, and the Ugandan and U.S. forces involved in the exercise, gathered on the airfield to commemorate the official start of AD 11. UPDF Brig. Gen. Silver Kayemba, exercise director and chief of training and operations, and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Dickerson, exercise deputy director and commander of Task Force Atlas, both expressed gratitude for the opportunity for Ugandan and U.S. forces to work together.

“I welcome you all to exercise ATLAS DROP 11,” said Kayemba. “This is one of a series of exercises in which we jointly train together.  Atlas Drop 11 is going to be an aerial resupply exercise that is directed to giving services to isolated platoons that are working in unfriendly environments.”  Kayemba also mentioned the importance of such training exercises. “Training is a continuous operation…If you fail to prepare, you have prepared to fail,” he said.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Dickerson said,   Our coming together here represents not just the partnership between our militaries but the partnership and the bonds between our nations, our governments, and most importantly, our people,” he said.  “We are so fortunate and very excited to be partnered with our UPDF brothers here in the Teso area.”

Following the ceremony, Ugandan and U.S. Soldiers began training together on rigging aerial delivery resupply systems, establishing drop zones in remote locations, and various military leadership skills such as decision-making processes.  The exercise will end following three days of live, aerial resupply practice missions to various drop zones established north of Soroti. Ugandan and U.S. distinguished visitors will attend the final air drops and the closing ceremony at one of the drop zones scheduled for April 20th, marking the official end to AD11.